Energy Evolution

Recent Episodes

1. AI demand is intensifying the race to build advanced nuclear reactors

   Sep 15, 2026

   Craig Bealmear, CFO of advanced nuclear reactor developer Oklo Inc., discusses the state of the advanced nuclear sector and the race to commercialize small modular reactor designs. The episode covers Oklo's Aurora fast neutron reactor, the company's 2028 commercialization target for its first Idaho Falls powerhouse, and the broader competitive landscape where dozens of private startups and established companies are developing advanced reactors to meet surging electricity demand from data centers and hyperscalers. Key themes include regulatory pathways, fuel supply chain development, capital financing strategies, and how federal policy under both administrations has accelerated the sector's progress.

2. Global diesel shortages squeeze the Americas

   Sep 10, 2026

   This episode explores the global diesel shortage affecting the Americas, driven by constraints in Russia and the Middle East. Janet McGurty, Kauanna Navarro, and Carlos Castillo discuss how US Gulf Coast refiners have become swing suppliers at near-100% capacity, Brazil's shift from Russian to US and Indian diesel imports, and the limited refinery spare capacity leaving markets vulnerable to supply disruptions.

3. War and decarbonization: Rewriting the UK and Europe's refining future

   Sep 8, 2026

   Elizabeth de Jong, CEO of Fuels Industry UK, discusses how the Middle East conflict has exposed the UK's vulnerability to fuel supply shocks, with the country now importing 55% of diesel and down to just 4 refineries from 18 in the 1970s. She argues that carbon costs under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme have driven refinery closures through carbon leakage, and advocates for a UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism to level the playing field against lower-cost competitors. De Jong warns that record refining margins during the current crisis mask structural uncompetitiveness and that without decisive government policy signals—particularly around carbon costs and import protections—the UK risks weakening its energy security and decarbonization prospects.

4. Why protesters want to slow America's data center boom

   Sep 1, 2026

   Aaron Tinjum, executive vice president of the Data Center Coalition, discusses the growing protest movement against data center construction in the US and its impact on infrastructure development. The episode examines the tension between AI and cloud computing demand, local community concerns over energy and water usage, and potential solutions including community benefit agreements and responsible guardrails. Expert voices from S&P Global Energy and Brookings Institution contextualize the scale of opposition—approximately 12 gigawatts of capacity at risk—and explore pathways toward sustainable data center expansion.

5. Europe's electrification challenge: Can ambition meet reality?

   Aug 25, 2026

   Host Eklavya Gupte examines the EU's Electrification Action Plan with two S&P Global Energy experts: Coralie Laurencin, director of European gas, power and carbon policy at S&P Global Energy CERA, and Andreas Franke, editorial lead on European power markets at S&P Global Energy Platts. The discussion assesses the EU's ambitious target to nearly double its electrification rate to 46% by 2040, exploring formidable challenges including high electricity costs, taxation barriers, grid expansion requirements, and sectoral differences in electrification feasibility. The conversation covers policy measures, subsidy frameworks, industrial competitiveness, and how Europe's electrification strategy addresses energy security, climate goals, and geopolitical resilience in a shifting global energy landscape.

6. Balcony solar and EVs are giving consumers a greater role in grid flexibility

   Aug 18, 2026

   Dan Testa and reporter Kirsten Errick explore plug-in (balcony) solar and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies, which enable residential consumers to generate and control their own electricity. Cora Stryker, co-founder of Bright Saver, discusses the rapid legislative momentum for plug-in solar across 35+ U.S. states and lessons learned from Germany's mature market. Aseem Kapur, Chief Revenue Officer at GM Energy, covers GM's vehicle-to-grid platform, its partnerships with utilities, and how EV batteries can provide grid flexibility and backup power while generating consumer savings.

7. Cybersecurity and clean energy: Inside the EU funding ban for solar and storage inverters

   Aug 11, 2026

   Host Eklavya Gupte examines the EU's April 2026 funding ban on solar and battery storage inverters from high-risk suppliers—primarily China—and its implications for Europe's renewable energy sector. The episode features electricity pricing reporter Lena Dias Martins, who explores market reactions, supply chain alternatives, and pricing impacts alongside insights from Cormac Gilligan (S&P Global Energy Horizons) on global diversification trends and Jan Krčmář (Czech Solar Association) on industry challenges and implementation concerns across member states.

8. Grid operator PJM juggles reforms as power auction results hit price cap again

   Aug 4, 2026

   This episode examines PJM's July 2024 capacity auction results, where clearing prices hit the $325/megawatt-day federal cap but procurement fell 6.8 gigawatts short of reliability requirements. Host Dan Testa and S&P Global Energy reporter Darren Sweeney interview Paul Segal, CEO of LS Power, and Tanya Peevey, S&P Global CERA analyst for North American power and renewables, to discuss rising prices, data center demand, market reforms, and the tensions between merchant generators and regulated utilities over how to address PJM's supply adequacy challenges.

9. Discussing Democrats' midterm message on energy

   Jul 28, 2026

   Dan Testa interviews two energy policy experts on Democratic messaging around energy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Mary Landreau, former Democratic senator from Louisiana and current policy advisor, advocates for an "all of the above" energy strategy emphasizing affordability, reliability, and clean energy. Scott Siegel, co-head of government relations at Bracewell LLP, analyzes how Democrats are framing energy issues through an affordability lens rather than climate change, and discusses emerging policy areas including data centers, nuclear, and geothermal energy.

10. Moving beyond the grid bottleneck with smart technology

    Jul 21, 2026

    Devrim Salal, Chief Flexibility and Marketing Officer at Kraken Technologies, discusses how smart technology and demand flexibility can address grid infrastructure bottlenecks without massive capital investment. Kraken operates nearly 8 gigawatts of virtual power capacity across 500,000 devices including utility-scale batteries, electric vehicles, and heat pumps. The conversation explores how shifting consumption patterns, driven by renewables and electrification, are reshaping electricity demand and creating new pressure points on aging grid infrastructure designed for a different era.